1990:043 - OLD BAWN ROAD, Tallaght, Dublin

This site is located on the eastern side of Old Bawn Road at the junction with the Tallaght By-pass. A short length (8m) of curvilinear ditch was located in the north-west corner of the site. The ditch, which became apparent at a depth of approx. 0.9m where it cut into the yellow boulder clay to a depth of 0.8m, was U-shaped and measured 2.3m wide where it penetrated the boulder clay, and was 1.3m wide at the base. The fill comprised 0.4m of clean brown/grey clay sub-soil, similar to that which underlay the garden soil throughout the remainder of the site, and beneath this was 0.4m of wet grey clay silt containing charcoal, iron slag and animal bone. There was evidence in the section for the presence of a destroyed bank 2.6m wide, on the inner side of the ditch. Samples of charcoal, silt, and bone have been sent for analysis. A C14 date has been received for one animal bone, i.e. 1210 ± 100 BP (GrN-18244), indicating an Early Christian context for the ditch, It was not possible to excavate this feature any further at this particular site because of the presence of high voltage electricity cables, but the curve of the ditch indicates that it is part of a possibly circular feature with inner bank, which extends out beneath (and therefore pre-dates) the Old Bawn Road.

121 Barton Road East, Dundrum, Dublin 14.